Interview for ride/slide attendant position tomorrow - tips?

[PointeBreak]

Hi. It's been a fair while "between drinks" [my posts on TPR] but thought you'd all be great for this.

 

Tomorrow I have a group interview at a theme park for the position of ride op or slide op at its water park next door.

 

It'll go for 2 and a half hours -- which is interesting, the longest interview I've ever had by a long stretch.

 

Does anyone have some tips on some do's and don't's applying for such a position? What kinds of questions can I expect and how best can I answer?

 

I'm dreading getting a question about what procedure to follow (like if a ride breaks down or something) and not having the complete information to answer it (isn't that what training is for?) I mean, I have common sense to draw from in my answer, but yeah. Really want this job!!

[Teacups Make Me Sick]

Good luck on your interview...I'm not sure how things are done on the other side of the equator (I'm a recruiter at a staffing firm).

 

But, I would suggest (since it is a long interview) to make sure you eat something before hand so you can keep a clear head. If you aren't sure about an answer, don't make one up...be honest and let them know what you would intuitively would think...but that you are a quick learner and will follow what is taught in training.

 

A few things I always tell people that I'm sending out is:

 

1) Never write see resume on an application (shows that you might think your a bit of a primadonna/not detailed oriented).

 

2) Dress professionally, smile, and give a firm handshake when meeting your interviewer.

 

3) Come prepared with questions about the position and company (or the interviewer)...and never ask "me" questions (such as what is the pay? what are my hours? when do I take a brake?)

 

4) Sit up during an interview and listen to the questions the interviewer is asking...and most importantly, show enthusiasm about the position.

 

5) Make sure you get a business card (or some way of contacting the person) and send them a thank you note...if they have an e-mail address, that works just as fine. Make sure that the note is checked for spelling/grammar...and you add in something about thanking them for their time....and why you feel you would be the perfect fit.

 

If you have any questions...please feel free to PM me.

 

Good luck!

[gisco]

^ As someone who does the hiring for my company, that is very good advise.

[Swimace]

I sometimes sit in on interviews for lifeguards and swim instructors and am asked to give input on whether or not we should hire a person. I am one of the head lifeguards for our city pools, so I pretty much go between the pool staff and the city management. Most of the people we hire to work at the pools are between the ages of 16 and 24.

 

Given that most people who are 16 and are coming in for an interview don't have previous work experience, we don't expect resume's or work references (although it definitely is a plus, many of the college/grad students that come in to interview bring those). When interviewing someone around your age we want to make sure that 1) you will have reliable transportation to and from work, 2) you are going to be a quick learner (we understand this is your first job so we don't expect you to know everything, it's actually a turn-off to interview a high schooler that thinks they know it all), and 3) that you have a good personality that will allow you to get along with others.

 

We have a lot of high schoolers that apply to work at our pools, and a lot of the time they don't get hired because there's an equally qualified college student (that's life in a college town). I'm going into my fifth year working for the city, so I've seen my fair share of hirings and firings. Coming from a place where high schoolers really need to stand out to get a job, I suggest that you pretty much follow what Teacups Make Me Sick had to say. When you're in your interview it's important to relax, have an honest good sense of humor about your lack of work experience, and let them see your personality. The biggest reasons high schoolers get turned away from working at our facilities is that 1) we feel they'd be incompetent, especially in an emergency situation, 2) Lack of reliable transportation, 3) "I know it all" or "my parents are making me do this" attitude, and 4) lack of maturity.

 

Hope that helps, good luck on getting your position!

[PointeBreak]

Cheers for all that guys ... One hour to the interview but will keep checking this thread on my iPhone (site works great on it btw Robb) just in case anything else gets posted.